Provisioning of Internet Connectivity Services and Managed Next Generation Firewall at PRAL HQ Office Islamabad

The Pakistan Revenue Automation Pvt Limited (PRAL) Islamabad is procuring Internet Connectivity Services and a Managed Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) for its HQ Office located at Sector I-9/3, Islamabad. This tender covers a turnkey solution including supply, installation, configuration, commissioning, and ongoing support for both components. Items being procured: - Internet Connectivity (CIR bandwidth, initially 100 Mbps, scalable as per business needs) - NGFW HA Pair (2 appliances) with security subscriptions The Internet Connectivity must be delivered via dedicated fiber last mile with redundant IP backbone using submarine cables such as SMW-3, SMW-4, TW1 or PEACE. The bidder must have at least two upstream providers to ensure failover without congestion. The solution includes all fiber optic termination equipment (ODF, ONT, SFPs) and civil works like cabling, grounding, earthing, and channeling. The service must provide 99.9% uptime with 24x7x365 local support and response time under 1 hour. Access to NMS portals for bandwidth monitoring is required. The NGFW appliances must meet minimum specs including ≥8 Gbps firewall throughput, ≥1.5 Gbps NGFW throughput, ≥1 Gbps threat protection throughput, and support for 500 concurrent users. Features include application control, antivirus, web filtering, IPS, MAC-based authentication, multi-WAN support, and redundant power supplies. The bidder must provide firmware updates, OEM TAC support, and scheduled configuration backups. Installation timelines are 4 weeks for Internet Connectivity and 6-8 weeks for NGFW. The contract duration is 2 years with an option to extend by 1 year. Eligibility requires a licensed telecom operator with operational network infrastructure in Islamabad/Rawalpindi, FBR registration, and compliance with technical and financial criteria. Bids must be submitted online via EPADS v2.0 by August 17, 2026 03:00 PM. Manual bids are not accepted. The bidder must submit a Bid Security of PKR 380,000 in the form of a Pay Order. The contract will be awarded on Least Cost Based Selection (LCBS) basis. A practical tip for bidders: Ensure your technical proposal clearly demonstrates compliance with all mandatory technical specifications and includes documentary proof of similar projects and after-sales support resources to meet the minimum 70% technical score threshold. Also, register early on EPADS v2.0 to avoid last-minute submission issues.